Hi guys, author here!Please share your thoughts in the comments and reviews. And if you like it, don't forget to drop some stones — they're a great motivator!
--------------------
The Zenin estate was rarely quiet, but mornings like this — when even the wind seemed to hesitate before brushing against the old shoji doors — were rarer still.
Naoya had just finished his morning drills when a faint buzz of whispers began spreading across the courtyard. Servants rushed past him, faces pale, as if they'd seen a curse walking through the front gate.
He didn't need to guess who it was. Only one person could make the entire Zenin estate collectively groan this early in the day.
"Naoya!!" came a loud voice from the main gate, echoing all the way to the training ground.
"That damn Gojo…" muttered Naobito, facepalming.
Naoya smiled helplessly at his father's reaction.
After becoming friends back at the banquet, Satoru Gojo visited him about once every two months. At first, Satoru had tried to invite Naoya to his own estate, but Naoya wasn't permitted to go — according to the clan, that would mean walking into enemy territory. So instead, Gojo took Naoya on outings, each accompanied by a bodyguard from both clans.
It was an awkward arrangement — but one neither side could oppose. Openly rejecting the other clan's heir would be seen as a declaration of hostility. Their only hope was that the Gojo clan would rein in their unruly prodigy. But that was easier said than done.
Satoru Gojo walked into the Zenin estate like it was his own backyard.
"Naobito-sama! Satoru Gojo—" a servant came running to inform him, but Naobito raised his hand, already knowing.
He looked toward Naoya and glared. "Freshen up and change. Keep yourselves within limits, and no matter what, don't drag the clan name through the mud."
Naoya nodded, then extended his hands forward with a grin.
"What?" Naobito asked, frowning.
"Money," replied Naoya cheerfully.
Naobito's smile twitched.That damned Gojo is rubbing off on him. Still, he handed over the cash — there was no way he'd have his son looking broke in front of a Gojo.
Naoya smiled brightly at the bills in his hand before rushing back to his room.Today was his beloved and much-needed one-in-two-months break.
--------------------
"Satoru!" called Naoya, spotting the white-haired boy waiting in the guest room.
"Naoya!" Satoru replied, jumping to his feet.
Without wasting a second, he grabbed Naoya's arm and bolted. "Bye-bye, Naobito-san! He'll come home late!" Satoru shouted as they ran off.
Naobito's brow twitched.
"Look after them," he ordered curtly. One of the Kukuru Unit members — the Zenin clan's elite fighters without innate techniques — nodded and followed. Naobito had specifically chosen Kukuru over Hei for this job, to avoid making the Gojo clan think he was trying to intimidate them by sending a high-ranking escort.
"Of all people, he had to befriend someone from the Gojo clan…" Naobito muttered. "If not for his cursed technique, he'd already be rotting in the Disciplinary Pit. Let's just hope this doesn't end with me losing my seat as clan head."
--------------------
A short while later, the two boys were strolling through the lively streets of Nagoya, their bodyguards following from a distance so as not to draw attention.
Naoya kept his posture composed, scanning his surroundings out of habit. Gojo, meanwhile, was skipping in excitement. They were headed to the arcade, after all.
"Seriously, you need to loosen up," Gojo sighed. "You're acting like someone's gonna jump out of nowhere to attack you."
"Oi! Don't jinx it!" Naoya yelled. He liked going out like this — rare breaks from the suffocating Zenin estate — but it also came with danger. Outside clan grounds, his safety wasn't guaranteed. The Zenins didn't kill each other inside the compound… but outside? That was a different story altogether.
"Just relax. Did you read Dragon Ball?" Satoru asked suddenly.
"Read? I devoured it. I'm caught up with the latest release," Naoya grinned. His home didn't have a television, so anime or movies were off-limits. Manga, however, had become his loophole to youth — courtesy of Satoru's influence.
"I also came across a few new ones in Jump, but they were already mid-arc, so I didn't understand much," Naoya added.
"Which ones?"
"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Yu Yu Hakusho, Luckyman. Those looked interesting."
"ZA WARUDO!!!" Gojo shouted out of nowhere.
"…What's that?" Naoya blinked.
"…You don't know? You said you read JoJo!"
"Not all of it. Just the latest issue."
"Ah, that explains it. They're doing Diamond Is Unbreakable right now. No wonder. Good taste, Naoya. Let's buy you all of JoJo today… after the arcade, of course. I still owe you revenge."
"You can try. Not like you'll win," Naoya smirked.
"We'll see about that! The great Satoru Gojo will defeat you today at Street Fighter!"
.
.
.
"ONE MORE GAME!!" Gojo yelled, already on his tenth consecutive loss.
"We should go now. We won't have enough left for manga," said Naoya calmly.
"It's not fair! Your hands move too fast! You weren't even using cursed energy or your technique!" Gojo whined.
"Hey, don't cry. You're just bad," Naoya teased.
"…That's it! Air hockey!" Gojo declared, dragging Naoya toward the table.
Not far away, their bodyguards were keeping watch — and, incidentally, playing a game themselves.
"Take this! This is the might of the Zenin clan!" one shouted dramatically.
The Gojo guard simply activated his special move, ending the match instantly.
"…Another round?" the Gojo guard smirked.
"…Let me get more coins," muttered the Zenin guard darkly. There was no way he'd lose to a Gojo, not when the young master was dominating their heir.
Far from this unconventional clan competiton, the two kids were playing air hocky with all the aggression they could muster.
"Take this!" Satoru yelled, smacking the puck with cursed energy.
"Haah!" Naoya retaliated in kind, sending it back with equal force.
The crowd stared, shocked by the sheer power behind each hit.
"Just let it in!" shouted Satoru.
"No way!" Naoya shot back.
Their match raged on until Satoru struck one final blow — the puck split in half mid-air.
Naoya caught both halves, staring blankly. Gojo joined him, equally stunned.
"Ahem."They looked up to see the arcade owner glaring down at them, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
"It's his fault," they said in unison — then immediately glared at each other.
.
.
.
After paying for the broken puck (and much to the Zenin guard's dismay at losing his rematch), the boys headed to the bookstore, each holding half of the broken disc as a memento.
"Let's make a deal — no more cursed energy air hockey," said Naoya.
"Agreed. How is that disc so expensive?" Gojo groaned still feeling sad by the unexpected blow to his pocket money.
"No idea. I just hope I've got enough left for manga," Naoya said, clutching his wallet nervously.
"Let's hope so," Gojo sighed.
At the bookstore, they rushed straight to the manga section, scanning the shelves like hawks.
"Got it!" Naoya exclaimed, picking up JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Volume 1. He checked the price and smiled — he could afford a few.
Satoru came over, took the book, and put it back.
"What?" Naoya asked flatly.
Satoru wagged his finger. "My ignorant friend, that's Part 3: Stardust Crusaders. You need to start from Part 1: Phantom Blood."
He led Naoya to another shelf, presenting it like a treasure.
"Take this," he said, handing him the proper volume.
Naoya checked the price again and ended up buying the first three volumes. He wanted more, but Volume 4 was out of stock — no point skipping ahead.
"That's all?" Satoru asked.
"Yeah. I'll get the rest next time," Naoya replied. He didn't mention that he was nearly broke since he didn't want to ruin the clan's image and get punishment later on. They were going to eat after this so he saved up some for then.
Satoru shrugged and they headed to the billing counter.
As they approached the counter, the cashier suddenly fired a party popper.
Naoya was one step away from grabbing Shisui out of his shadow and jamming it straight through the cashier's throat. That shocked the already panicked boy.
"Congratulations! You're our 100th buyer! You get a prize!" the cashier announced, clapping.
Naoya sighed, then smiled politely. "Really? What do I get?"
"First, pay for your books," the man grinned. After ringing them up, he led the boys to a glass case of prizes.
"What do you want, kid? Onii-san will get it for you," he said proudly.
"Aren't you a little old to be called Onii-san?" Gojo deadpanned.
The man visibly flinched. I… I just started college… he thought in despair.
Naoya ignored them, scanning the case — until something caught his eye. His face lit up as he tugged Satoru's sleeve, pointing eagerly.
Satoru followed his gaze — and his eyes sparkled, too.
The clerk smiled knowingly and pulled the prize out.
"You want this right, The original Dragon Balls — complete with Shenron figure!." said the clerk.
Naoya dumbly nodded and took the sealed box from the man.
"Call me onii-san first." said the cashier pulling away the box.
Naoya nodded dumbly, accepting the sealed box like a sacred treasure.
"Call me Onii-san first," teased the clerk, pulling it back slightly.
"…Petty Onii-san," both boys said in unison.
The man's smile twitched, but he handed the box over anyway.
"…I should've bought something too," Satoru muttered, regretting already owning the manga he liked back at home.
----------------------
Done with their shopping, the two kids walked out, heading toward a nearby alley so Naoya could store the books and his prize in his shadow.
But the moment they stepped in, a surge of cursed energy washed over them.
"Naoya-sama, stand back."
"Satoru-sama, you too."
Their bodyguards appeared instantly, weapons drawn.
"Great," Naoya muttered, drawing Shisui. "I knew my luck would 'reward' me after winning that prize…"